Rail-joint.



HQ MARTIN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATIOI? FILED MAY 24, 1909.

Patented 00's. 19, 1909.

lNuENTnH LL/ITNEEIEJEE H. MHH'TIN fITT'Y.

tm'rrnn srairrzs PATIENT orrron.

HARRISON MAR-TIN, OF NORTH BAY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON MARTIN, of North Bay, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail joints, and the objects of my invention are to provide a simplified form of joint which will connect the end of the rail and hold the same firmly in position without the use of any bolt-s, rivets or other fastening means and to enable the joint to be tight ened in a simple and convenient manner; and it consists essentially of a suitable chair adapted to fit about the sides of the rail and having a central vertically extending plate adapted to fit into recesses provided in the ends of the rails, in combination with wedges adapted to extend between the chair and the rail, and adjustable members for holding the wedges in tightened position, all as hereinafter more fully set forth and described in the accompanying specifications and drawlngs.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the rail joint. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair member. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end of one of the rails. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the center of the chair. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure. I

Referring to the drawings, A and B represent two rails, the ends of which are, in accordance with the present invention, formed with vertically extending slots 10, the said slots being of a width equal to the web 11 of the rail.

C represents the chair member formed with a base plate 12 adapted to fit beneath the rail and side members 13 and 14 adapted to fit around the side of the rail and over the base, the said side members being provided at their inner ends with flanges 15 and 16 adapted to abut and support the web of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 24, 1909.

Patented Oct. 19, 19(99.

Serial No. 498,028.

rail. At substantially the center of the chair and between the flanges 15 and 16, a connecting plate 17 is provided adapted to fit into the slots 10 on the ends of the rail. In this way a firmer joint is provided between the rails. The flanges 15 and 16 fit up and bear against the underside of the head of the rail and thus the two rails are supported and braced both on the web and underside of the head. To hold the rails in the chair, pairs of wedges 18 and 19 are provided, inserted from opposite ends beneath the side members 13 and 14 of the chair, separate pairs of wedges being provided for each side. These wedges, which may be made of hardened steel, are driven in with a suitable hammer or sledge, thereby tightly securing the rails in position and preventing displacement. To hold the wedges in adjusted position, bolts 20 are provided and screwed into the ends of the chair, said bolts being connected to the wedges in a suitable manner, as by plates 21 carried thereon, and adapted to engage the wedges. The bolts are held in adjusted position by nuts 28. In tightening the joint, the wedge will first be driven in and the adjusting bolt 20 will then be tightened until the plate 21 engages the ends of the wedges. Thus, practically no strain is put on the bolts and their only function is to maintain the wedges in position. The chair itself may be held in position by spikes driven through suitable apertures 22.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claims, could be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specifications and drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An improved rail joint comprising rails having vertically extending slots in their extremities, a chair adapted to receive the ends of the rails having a central dividing plate adapted to fit in the slots in the rails, wedges adapted to extend between the chair and the rails and adjustable members for holding the Wedges in position.

2. An improved rail joint comprising rails 1 having slots in their extremities, a chair havchair adapted to extend in the slots in the 10 rails, and Wedges adapted to extend between the chair and the rails.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

HARRISON MARTIN. Witnesses RUssEL S. SMART, M. GILBERTSON. 

